DAN
by atadlost
Summary: It's always been a matter of the heart.


I'd never given much thought to love.  
To be honest, I had no one to love...no one to love me.  
It's always been that way, and it always will be. Simply because I, Dan Sanders, willingly choose not to let anyone get close to me. That's why I sit alone during lunch. That's why I avoid everyone who attempts to speak to me. And that, dear reader, is why I moved to Forks.  
My dad described it as a quiet town, and I believed him.  
I mean, how can I not? He's the only man who has been beside me through all the trouble I've dragged him - and my mom - through. They were the only people I had.  
Plus, my sudden move to Forks also involved my Mom and her new not-so-hot boyfriend, Whats-His-Face.  
I never really cared about his real name, due to the fact that I never really cared about him at all. He was just another person to me...someone who I wouldn't allow myself to talk to, even though he frequently visited my Mom's house.  
The poor guy must've had a hard time fighting for my approval.  
And unfortunately for Mom, she had to bear the pain of watching as her only child refused to even associate himself with her new man-candy.  
Alas, that's just the way it works.  
"I've missed you." Dad whispered, his voice sounding hoarse, as if crying as all we could do.  
After all, divorces tend to take that sort of emotional toll on people...especially if they didn't want it.  
Naturally, my mother left Dad for the random guy on the street - that boyfriend of hers - and I've been disappointed in her ever since that faithful day.  
Even though I'd always lived with my mother, Dad used to stay with us while my parents were still married...but what really hurt me about Dad's voice was the fact that my parents got divorced two years ago.  
I guess it still stung a bit.  
"I've missed you too." I told him, smiling warmly.  
The man definitely needed it.  
"How's your heart doing?" Dad inquired, sounding genuinely worried.  
I sighed once again, not really sure how to respond to that question.  
"It's been okay," I replied, allowing a small smile to spread on my face.  
Dad turned to face me for a moment, his eyes gleaming with pride.  
"You've grown so much..." he pointed out, clearing his throat nonchalantly.  
I sighed.  
"Not as much as you think."  
The rest of the drive was spent in comfortable silence.  
We drove through Forks, watching as the grey skies concealed the little town in Washington DC, making me feel a lot more at home than I'd ever felt.  
To be honest, California was never my home...at least, not without Dad. But after he left, Mom forced me to stay with her, and I did...mainly because she bribed me with everything an antisocial teenager would ever need in life, but it came to a point when I just couldn't take it anymore. Staying in that house, with that delusional man, made me crazier than I'd ever been.  
Suddenly, the car stopped.  
Dad hopped out, and I followed suit, slowly making my way to the trunk.  
"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling as opened the trunk and pulled out my bags.  
Smiling in return, I turned around and strolled into the house, which was unlocked - not much of a surprise there.  
I took in the familiar scent of stale pizza, old clothes, lavender air-freshener, and the pungent stench of the stove that Dad nearly never used.  
Now that is what home smells like.  
Giddily, I dashed up the steps and into the familiar hallways, which had a rather homey smell as well.  
I pushed the first door on the left open, bursting into my old room just like I would on any other day.  
With steady breaths, I gazed at the room.  
It hadn't changed a bit.  
The walls were still sky blue, the large wooden dresser was still completely intact, but abundant with dust, just like it had always been. My multicoloured rug still rested on the floor in front of my double bed, which still had my favourite Spider-man sheets. I flopped onto the bed, staring at the white-washed ceiling, which had one of those old-fashioned rotating fans hanging from it.  
"Doesn't it remind you of old times?" Dad whispered as he strolled into the room, a nostalgic gaze on his face.  
"Yeah," I replied, circling my finger across the sheets.  
Dad exhaled, gently placing all my belongings - which had come in one gigantic suitcase - beside the mahogany dresser.  
I shut my eyes, listening to my father's hiking boots creak against the wood of the uncovered floor, the sounds becoming less consistent after a few moments.  
And that is when I realized something.  
Life would never be the same.

XXX

**Author's Note: Yes, I know; it sucks.**  
**Yes, I know; it's basic.**  
**And yes, I know; you probably won't read on...but please do?**


End file.
